HarperCollins Study Bible
Page 47
10You shall bring the bull in front of the tent of meeting. Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull, 11and you shall slaughter the bull before the LORD, at the entrance of the tent of meeting, 12and shall take some of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and all the rest of the blood you shall pour out at the base of the altar. 13You shall take all the fat that covers the entrails, and the appendage of the liver, and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, and turn them into smoke on the altar. 14But the flesh of the bull, and its skin, and its dung, you shall burn with fire outside the camp; it is a sin offering.
15Then you shall take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram, 16and you shall slaughter the ram, and shall take its blood and dash it against all sides of the altar. 17Then you shall cut the ram into its parts, and wash its entrails and its legs, and put them with its parts and its head, 18and turn the whole ram into smoke on the altar; it is a burnt offering to the LORD; it is a pleasing odor, an offering by fire to the LORD.
19You shall take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram, 20and you shall slaughter the ram, and take some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear and on the lobes of the right ears of his sons, and on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet, and dash the rest of the blood against all sides of the altar. 21Then you shall take some of the blood that is on the altar, and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and his vestments and on his sons and his sons’ vestments with him; then he and his vestments shall be holy, as well as his sons and his sons’ vestments.
22You shall also take the fat of the ram, the fat tail, the fat that covers the entrails, the appendage of the liver, the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, and the right thigh (for it is a ram of ordination), 23and one loaf of bread, one cake of bread made with oil, and one wafer, out of the basket of unleavened bread that is before the LORD; 24and you shall place all these on the palms of Aaron and on the palms of his sons, and raise them as an elevation offering before the LORD. 25Then you shall take them from their hands, and turn them into smoke on the altar on top of the burnt offering of pleasing odor before the LORD; it is an offering by fire to the LORD.
26You shall take the breast of the ram of Aaron’s ordination and raise it as an elevation offering before the LORD; and it shall be your portion. 27You shall consecrate the breast that was raised as an elevation offering and the thigh that was raised as an elevation offering from the ram of ordination, from that which belonged to Aaron and his sons. 28These things shall be a perpetual ordinance for Aaron and his sons from the Israelites, for this is an offering; and it shall be an offering by the Israelites from their sacrifice of offerings of well-being, their offering to the LORD.
29The sacred vestments of Aaron shall be passed on to his sons after him; they shall be anointed in them and ordained in them. 30The son who is priest in his place shall wear them seven days, when he comes into the tent of meeting to minister in the holy place.
31You shall take the ram of ordination, and boil its flesh in a holy place; 32and Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram and the bread that is in the basket, at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 33They themselves shall eat the food by which atonement is made, to ordain and consecrate them, but no one else shall eat of them, because they are holy. 34If any of the flesh for the ordination, or of the bread, remains until the morning, then you shall burn the remainder with fire; it shall not be eaten, because it is holy.
35Thus you shall do to Aaron and to his sons, just as I have commanded you; through seven days you shall ordain them. 36Also every day you shall offer a bull as a sin offering for atonement. Also you shall offer a sin offering for the altar, when you make atonement for it, and shall anoint it, to consecrate it. 37Seven days you shall make atonement for the altar, and consecrate it, and the altar shall be most holy; whatever touches the altar shall become holy.
The Daily Offerings
38Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs a year old regularly each day. 39One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer in the evening; 40and with the first lamb one-tenth of a measure of choice flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of beaten oil, and one-fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering. 41And the other lamb you shall offer in the evening, and shall offer with it a grain offering and its drink offering, as in the morning, for a pleasing odor, an offering by fire to the LORD. 42It shall be a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of meeting before the LORD, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there. 43I will meet with the Israelites there, and it shall be sanctified by my glory; 44I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar; Aaron also and his sons I will consecrate, to serve me as priests. 45I will dwell among the Israelites, and I will be their God. 46And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them; I am the LORD their God.
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a Gk: Heb sashes, Aaron and his sons
29.1–35 The ordination procedure includes washing, investiture, and anointing (vv. 4–9), purification (vv. 10–14), propitiation (vv. 15–18), ordination (vv. 19–21), and homage (vv. 22–27). The ordination is performed in Lev 8–9.
29.1 You, Moses (25.1). Them, Aaron and his sons (28.43). Without blemish, lit. “whole.”
29.2 Unleavened. See note on 12.8. Cakes…wafers. Cf. Lev 2.4. Spread, elsewhere translated “anointed” (e.g., 29.36).
29.3 In, “on,” suggesting an open basket or tray. Bring, “bring near,” used of cultic offerings and approaching the deity, often repeated in this section.
29.5 Vestments. See ch. 28. The undergarments (28.42) are not mentioned because the priests put them on alone. Gird, in Hebrew cognate to ephod.
29.6 Diadem, the rosette (28.36), also used of a royal crown (e.g., 2 Sam 1.10).
29.7 Anointing oil. See 30.22–33. Anointing, performed also on kings, signifies luxury and privilege (cf., e.g., Ps 23.5; Eccl 9.8).
29.9 Ordain. See note on 28.41.
29.10 Lay their hands, to signify it is theirs (e.g., Lev 1.4); cf. Lev 4.4.
29.12 The rest of, added for clarity.
29.13 Fat. See note on 23.18.
29.14 Outside the camp, because the offering pollutes; cf. Num 19. Sin offering, or “purification offering” (from the verb “cleanse,” Lev 14.52). Its purpose is to remove ritual pollution and transform to a state of purity, a prerequisite to approaching God (cf. note on 19.10); it is used of purifying the altar in vv. 36–37.
29.16 Dashing the blood signifies its return to God (cf. Lev 17.6, 11).
29.17 Parts, in Hebrew cognate to cut; cf. Lev 1.6. With, rather “on top of.”
29.18 Odor. See note on 23.18.
29.19–28 The ordination rite adapts the well-being offering (Lev 3).
29.20 Blood, a divine substance (cf. Lev 17.11) and therefore an agent of purification and safeguard against ritual pollution (see v. 21). Cf. Lev 14.14. The rest of, added for clarity.
29.22 Fat tail, part of the fat (Lev 3.9). Right thigh, ordinarily eaten by the priests (Lev 7.32–33), here served to God; the offering symbolizes a meal (see v. 25).
29.23 Loaf, more precisely “a (flat) round.”
29.24 Raise, in Hebrew cognate to elevation; on the significance of the presentation, cf. note on 25.30. Before the LORD, in front of the tent of meeting (v. 4).
29.26 You, Moses, who partakes of the offering since he functions here as priest; cf. Lev 7.30–31.
29.27 Consecrate, render as cultic property. The second occurrence of elevation offering in this verse translates a generic Hebrew term for cultic donations (see note on 25.2), rendered offering in v. 28. The first occurrence translates a different Hebrew word, also in v. 26.
29.28 Perpetual. See Lev 7.28�
�36; Num 18.8, 18–19.
29.29 See Num 20.26.
29.30 Seven days. See vv. 35–37. When he comes, rather “who will come,” in apposition to priest.
29.31 A resumption of v. 27.
29.33 No one else, an outsider (Num 1.51; 3.10, 38; 16.40; 18.4, 7) or nonpriest, here applied to any but the chief priests (as in Num 16.40).
29.34 Holy, rendered sacred donations in 28.38.
29.36 Sin offering. See note on 29.14. Atonement, in the sense of expurgating ritual pollution, such as that of the altar; cf. Lev 16.
29.37 Seven days. Cf. Ezek 43.26. Most holy, “holy of holies” cf. 40.10. Holy, cultic property (a noun); see note on 29.34; cf. Num 16.37–39.
29.38–42 A digression on the use of the altar; cf. Num 28.3–6.
29.39 In the evening, rather at twilight, as translated in 12.6.
29.40 A measure, an ephah (see note on 16.36). Hin, one-sixth of a bath, the liquid equivalent of an ephah.
29.42 Meet. See note on 25.1–31.18.
29.43 Glory. See note on 16.6–7.
29.45 Dwell. See note on 25.1–31.18.
29.46 Know. Cf. note on 5.2; cf. 20.2.
EXODUS 30
The Altar of Incense
1You shall make an altar on which to offer incense; you shall make it of acacia wood. 2It shall be one cubit long, and one cubit wide; it shall be square, and shall be two cubits high; its horns shall be of one piece with it. 3You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top, and its sides all around and its horns; and you shall make for it a molding of gold all around. 4And you shall make two golden rings for it; under its molding on two opposite sides of it you shall make them, and they shall hold the poles with which to carry it. 5You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. 6You shall place it in front of the curtain that is above the ark of the covenant,a in front of the mercy seatb that is over the covenant,c where I will meet with you. 7Aaron shall offer fragrant incense on it; every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall offer it, 8and when Aaron sets up the lamps in the evening, he shall offer it, a regular incense offering before the LORD throughout your generations. 9You shall not offer unholy incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering; and you shall not pour a drink offering on it. 10Once a year Aaron shall perform the rite of atonement on its horns. Throughout your generations he shall perform the atonement for it once a year with the blood of the atoning sin offering. It is most holy to the LORD.
The Half Shekel for the Sanctuary
11The LORD spoke to Moses: 12When you take a census of the Israelites to register them, at registration all of them shall give a ransom for their lives to the LORD, so that no plague may come upon them for being registered. 13This is what each one who is registered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as an offering to the LORD. 14Each one who is registered, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the LORD’s offering. 15The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when you bring this offering to the LORD to make atonement for your lives. 16You shall take the atonement money from the Israelites and shall designate it for the service of the tent of meeting; before the LORD it will be a reminder to the Israelites of the ransom given for your lives.
The Bronze Basin
17The LORD spoke to Moses: 18You shall make a bronze basin with a bronze stand for washing. You shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it; 19with the waterd Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet. 20When they go into the tent of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to make an offering by fire to the LORD, they shall wash with water, so that they may not die. 21They shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they may not die: it shall be a perpetual ordinance for them, for him and for his descendants throughout their generations.
The Anointing Oil and Incense
22The LORD spoke to Moses: 23Take the finest spices: of liquid myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet-smelling cinnamon half as much, that is, two hundred fifty, and two hundred fifty of aromatic cane, 24and five hundred of cassia—measured by the sanctuary shekel—and a hin of olive oil; 25and you shall make of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil. 26With it you shall anoint the tent of meeting and the ark of the covenant,e 27and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense, 28and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin with its stand; 29you shall consecrate them, so that they may be most holy; whatever touches them will become holy. 30You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, in order that they may serve me as priests. 31You shall say to the Israelites, “This shall be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations. 32It shall not be used in any ordinary anointing of the body, and you shall make no other like it in composition; it is holy, and it shall be holy to you. 33Whoever compounds any like it or whoever puts any of it on an unqualified person shall be cut off from the people.”
34The LORD said to Moses: Take sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, sweet spices with pure frankincense (an equal part of each), 35and make an incense blended as by the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy; 36and you shall beat some of it into powder, and put part of it before the covenantf in the tent of meeting where I shall meet with you; it shall be for you most holy. 37When you make incense according to this composition, you shall not make it for yourselves; it shall be regarded by you as holy to the LORD. 38Whoever makes any like it to use as perfume shall be cut off from the people.
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a Or treaty, or testimony; Heb eduth
b Or the cover
c Or treaty, or testimony; Heb eduth
d Heb it
e Or treaty, or testimony; Heb eduth
f Or treaty, or testimony; Heb eduth
30.1–5 The incense altar is constructed like that of the courtyard, but it is of more precious material since it will stand in the “holy place” cf. note on 27.1–8.
30.1 Offer, in Hebrew cognate to incense, lit. “(aromatic) smoke.”
30.4 On two opposite sides, lit. “on its two flanks, on its two sides.”
30.6 It, the altar (v. 1). Above, rather “over” (see 26.31–33; 35.12). Meet. See 25.21–22.
30.7 Offer, burn (see note on v. 1). Every morning, lit. “in the morning, in the morning.” Dresses, or cleans.
30.8 Sets up. Cf. 27.21. In the evening. See note on 29.39.
30.9 Unholy, lit. “alien” cf. Lev 10.1; see note on 29.33.
30.10 Once a year, presumably on the Day of Atonement, although this rite is not specified in Lev 16. Atonement. See note on 29.36. Most holy. See note on 29.37.
30.11–16 The levy gives the Israelites a share in the tabernacle and protects them against the demonic attack that a head count attracts; cf. 2 Sam 24; also cf. the harmless military census in Num 1. For the use of the levy, see 38.25–28; cf. 2 Chr 24.4–10; Mt 17.24.
30.12 Take a census, lit. “raise the head” (see Num 1.2). Register, rendered “take a census” in 2 Sam 24.2. Plague, the Hebrew term also rendered plague in 12.13 but not the one rendered “pestilence” in 2 Sam 24.15.
30.13 Each one, only males (cf. Num 1.2). Twenty gerahs. Cf. Lev 27.25; Num 3.47; 18.16. Offering. See note on 25.2.
30.14 Twenty. Cf. Num 1.3.
30.15 To make atonement, “ransom,” in Hebrew cognate to ransom in v. 12; the same phrase is translated ransom in (see note on) 30.16.
30.16 To the Israelites, rather “of the Israelites.” Before the LORD. See note on 28.12. Of the ransom…lives, rather “to ransom your lives.”
30.18 Basin, or “laver,” a different Hebrew term from the one so rendered in 24.6; the term is used in 1 Kings 7.38, where, unlike here, dimensions are given.
30.19 With the water, rather “from it,” from the basin.
30.20 Die.
See note on 28.35.
30.21 A parallelism effects closure (cf. note on 23.13).
30.22–38 For the actual anointing, see Lev 8.10–12.
30.23 Finest spices. Cf. Song 4.14. Liquid, or “solidified” (resinous), contrasting with the flowing state described in Song 5.5, 13. Aromatic, cognate to spice and sweet-smelling.
30.24 Hin. See note on 29.40.
30.25 Blended as by the perfumer. The Hebrew plies the same root three ways. Holy, the same Hebrew term rendered sacred; see also v. 32.
30.29 Holy. See note on 29.37.
30.30 And his sons. 29.7, 29 direct only that Aaron and his vestments be anointed; to resolve the discrepancy, cf. note on 27.21.
30.31 Cf. 1 Chr 9.30.
30.32 It shall not…body, lit. “On (ordinary) human flesh it shall not be poured.”
30.33 Compounds, in Hebrew cognate to blend, rendered perfumer in v. 25. Unqualified person. See note on 30.9 (where the term is translated unholy). Cut off. See note on 12.15.
30.34 Sweet spices, a different Hebrew term from (aromatic) spices in v. 23 and fragrant (spices) in 25.6. An equal part of each, lit. “part like part shall it be.”
30.35 Make, lit. “make of them.” Blended. Cf. v. 25. Seasoned with salt, rather “salted.” Pure, ritually pure (not as in v. 34, which uses a different term). Holy. See note on 29.37.
30.36 Part, the same Hebrew term rendered some. Covenant. See note on 27.21.
30.38 To use as perfume, lit. “to smell by it.” Cut off. Cf. v. 33.
EXODUS 31